When patients get sick, they expect their doctor to make them well. They demand the best care, the latest drugs and the most advanced diagnostics available — and they seek nothing less than a total recovery. Oddly, though, it’s often the patients themselves who sabotage their own medical outcomes.
Without the honest description no physician can provide a complete diagnosis. In fact, studies show up to 81% of patients lie to their doctors about how often they exercise, how much they eat, and other behaviors to avoid being judged, according to a study published last year in JAMA Network Open—and those lies can negatively affect patients' health.
Indeed, a surprising number of patients withhold information or outright lie to their doctors for fear of being judged, an aversion to being lectured, or because they wish to present themselves in a positive light. Others do it because they want something from their doctor — like pain medication or a diagnosis that enables them to collect disability. Unfortunately, such deceit forces physicians to order unnecessary and increasingly invasive tests to diagnose the patient’s problem. Worse, it ups the odds that physicians might prescribe a medication that would react negatively with a drug the patient is already (secretly) taking.
“People might fail to disclose a serious risk factor like sexual practice or IV sharing, but the most dangerous is not being honest about what medications they are taking,” says Glen Stream, a primary-care physician with the Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, Wash. “Sometimes patients see more than one physician because they try to compartmentalize their health issues or view them to be unrelated. Perhaps they’re taking a psychiatric medication that they don’t tell you about and you’re seeing them for their blood pressure. You could prescribe something that could have a potentially fatal complication.”
Consequences of holding back information can be disastrous. When the stakes are high and noncompliance or deceit could be life threatening.
Similarly, James urges us to confess our sins to GOD and seek prayers from the elders or the righteous person.
How to confess? Confession is a two step process:
To confess is to do two things with our sin:
1) to recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes.
2) to get rid of our secrets and be honest with one another.
In this chapter, James' statement is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness. It also brings healing.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME: Holy Father, I have sinned. I now confess my own personal sin of ____________. I ask for your forgiveness and for your Spirit to strengthen me in overcoming temptation. I want to live for you and not let my sin, any sin, entangle me and draw me away from you. Through Jesus Holy name I pray. AMEN.
GOD BLESS YOU.
Reference: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2716996